World Cup done, Jets players glad to be back at work

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This article was published 26/09/2016 (3291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Scheifele, a recently initiated member of the NHL’s multi-millionaires club, can sometimes sound like a hockey nerd. He’s eager to learn and to embrace a new experience.

“It was pretty cool playing with guys I was playing with,” said the enthusiastic Winnipeg Jets centre, who returned from a stint with Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, Monday. “I was playing on the wing, so you can take things from that. Knowing what it’s like to be a winger with me being a centre, I can maybe empathize (with) what a winger is doing. So, maybe it’ll help me in that sense.

“The biggest thing was it was pretty cool to play against the best in the world and be a part of that.”

Scheifele, who signed an eight-year, US$49-million deal with the NHL’s Jets in the off-season, performed ably on a line with superstar linemates Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews at the World Cup. On Monday, he was back at his regular job along with Jets teammates and Team USA members Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien and super-charged rookie Patrik Laine.

Wheeler came away impressed, despite three straight losses and a non-playoff performance by the American squad.

“It was a great experience,” said Wheeler. “There was a lot of excitement out there. They put on a great event. It was fun to be a part of.”

Byfuglien, a healthy scratch for one game by head coach John Tortorella, was less enthused about the whole process.

“It was all right,” he said. “…It was fun to put the jersey on with the guys I did it with, but other than that it was just all right.”

Laine, Winnipeg’s No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 NHL draft, was the youngest player in the tournament and struggled, along with his Finnish teammates, losing all three preliminary-round games. Laine wasn’t involved in the team’s lone goal.

“Yeah, of course, awesome experience,” he said. “The result wasn’t so good, but you have to see the whole picture. For me, that was just kind of learning how to play there and be here in the big world.”

That big-picture approach will come in helpful when he’s making the adjustment to the cramped conditions and tighter checking he’s certain to find on North American ice.

“I think the first game was pretty tough from everybody,” said Laine. “The second two games were pretty good. Our line was playing, I think, a pretty good game. I think I was pretty satisfied even if I didn’t score or get a result for my time.”

One of Laine’s objectives was, and is, to soak everything up.

“Everything is new here,” he said. “The pace was pretty good there. They are really good players. You have to be, all the time, on your game. You have to be a good player that and I think I managed to do that pretty well.”

The Jets open their pre-season schedule at home Tuesday against the Calgary Flames. The lineup was still subject to discussion by the club’s brain trust when assistant coach Jamie Kompon met with the media Monday.

“We did all of our prep work in August, making sure we were ready for camp,” said Kompon, who is acting as media point man for the club while head coach Paul Maurice continues his World Cup duties as an assistant coach with Team Europe, which faces off against Canada in a best-of-three final that begins Tuesday.

“I don’t think this was expected by a lot of people… I don’t think a lot of people expected Team Europe to be where they’re at right now. But, hey, that’s kudos to to the job Paul and Ralph (Krueger) and Brad Shaw and their staff have done.

“We make sure we talk more than once a day,” added Kompon. “He’s got full confidence in what we’re doing.”

When a lineup is announced, Kompon said he would have this advice for the players battling for roster spots.

“Less is more'” he said. “Play within yourself. Do what you do well and play to your identity. Play to our identity as the Jets. We’ve had a great three days here and the foundation’s been set. That was set long before I even stepped on the ice.”

Monday’s full contingent (with the exception of unsigned restricted free-agent defenceman Jacob Trouba) was a welcome sight for veteran forward Drew Stafford but it didn’t change much.

“It’s good to have (the World Cup participants) back,” said Stafford, who turns 31 on Oct. 30. “…Things aren’t really that much different. It’s good to have our whole team minus Paul (Maurice) back.

“The intensity’s always going to be high…. Guys are competing for jobs. It shouldn’t be at a low level just because veteran guys aren’t here. They’re not waiting for anyone. Their chance is right now.”

Stafford, who was dealing with a couple of injuries at the end of last season, said the long playoff-free break has the odd positive aspect, but said players of a certain age have to be cautious.

“It was nice to have a little extra time,” he said. “You’re not going to gain that much working out all the time. It’s more about maintaining your body and making sure you’re healthy. It’s about longevity versus when you’re a younger guy, you can make more gains through training. It’s such a long, gruelling, grinding season. If you show up to training camp and you’re hurt, what’s the point?”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter @sawa14